Jaffna displaced protest, demand resettlement

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 June 2002, 19:28 GMT]A large number of displaced families from Valikamam north Wednesday picketed in front of the Divisional Secretariat at Tellipalai from dawn to dusk, demanding that they be allowed to resettle in their own lands. The Valikamam north Rehabilitation Society, with the Federation of Farmers Associations and students organizations, organised the picket and protest march.

Around noon, a large number of picketers commenced their protest march to the Jaffna secretariat, about fourteen km off Tellipalai, in two wheel tractors and bicycles, carrying placards and shouting slogans through K.K.S. road.

The protesters reached the Jaffna Secretariat around one in the afternoon and handed over a memorandum that included twelve demands.

The main demand is to allow them to resettle in their own lands in Valigamam north. The Additional Government Agent, Mr.T.Vaithilingam, accepted the memorandum from the President of the Coalition of Humanitarian Agencies, Mr.K.Paramanathan. The displaced people of Valigamam north held a similar picketing campaign on May 5 in front of the Tellipalai Divisional Secretariat.

About seventy thousand families have been displaced due to military operations and most of the villages in Valikamam north have been brought under the high security zone of the Sri Lanka Army.

The State armed forces are now refusing any resettlement to take place in most parts of the Valigamam north citing security reasons.

A copy of the memorandum handed over to the Jaffna Additional Government Agent was also given to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Jaffna district.